Worksop: Woman was “thrown across the road” after being hit by police car

Sophie Wills

A woman was “thrown across the road” after being hit by a police car as it rushed to the scene of an emergency in Worksop, a Freedom of Information request by the Guardian has revealed.

The woman, believed to be in her 30s, was seriously injured when the police vehicle collided with her on Memorial Avenue at around 4.30pm on December 29 last year.

The Guardian asked to see the report prepared by the Independent Police Complaints Commission which has since referred back to Nottinghamshire Police.

The report states that two police cars were travelling to a “domestic violence” emergency at the time of the incident, and that the first vehicle travelled to the scene “with no issues”. But the second vehicle collided with the woman when she “stepped out in front of the car”.

The woman was “thrown across the road to the other side of the junction” and was taken to hospital with serious injuries, though it was confirmed she has since been discharged.

The report revealed that the police car was travelling at 50mph, and at the point of impact had slowed to 40mph.

It was also alleged that the nearby pedestrian crossing was on red at the time of the crash, indicating for pedestrians to wait before crossing the road.

“According to the evidence provided, Nottinghamshire Police do not have a policy that states the speed that an officer should travel at when dealing with an emergency,” the report says. However, the accident occurred not far from an Asda store, and the officer would have been aware that he was travelling at an increased speed in an area and a time when pedestrians would have been about.”

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “The woman who was injured in the collision has been discharged and the investigation, which is being carried out by another force, is continuing.”